The Chattanooga Mocs just finished spring practice week 2 of 5 in preparation for the 2022 campaign. At the conclusion of each week, GoMocs.com will share a "Friday Focus" feature looking at key areas, stories or whatever the author decides is fun to share.
 
Week 1: O-Line Is in Good Hands
 
This week, we look at the defensive line and a premier pass rusher. We know you're thinking about this guy, he's an All-American and all, but we'll shift to the other side at "bookend" Ben Brewton. He was a first team All-Southern Conference performer as well showing offensive lines they can't focus on any one spot on the defensive front.
 
"Obviously, Devonnsha Maxwell gets a majority of the attention," Coach Rusty Wright shared. "He's earned it all. But anyone who focuses solely on him pays a price. Ben really came on last year. When you look at him, D-Max and Christian (Smith), we're very experienced there and very deep to keep them fresh."
 
That's true. Guys like Giovanni Reviere, Quay Wiggles, John Prince and Marlon Taylor have played a lot of snaps giving defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward an amazing arsenal upfront at the FCS level. Really, any level. But is that typical?
 
"We're blessed," Ward began. "We have around 10 defensive linemen who can all play, who could all be starters on a lot of teams in this conference. For us to have that kind of depth at an FCS school? I think you'd be hard pressed to find another d-line with our depth at this level."
 
But let's get back to our focus. To say Brewton is no friend of the quarterback is an understatement. His 5.5 sacks last year tied for second on the squad with Jay Person behind Maxwell while leading it in quarterback hurries with six.
 
Those 5.5 sacks are the most by someone not named Maxwell since Isaiah Mack's 8.5 in 2018 (Maxwell also had 5.5 that year). His trajectory is high as maybe the most athletic defender on the squad.
 
Circling back to our original "bookend" premise. A little quick addition two graphs ago tells us Maxwell and Brewton combined for 17.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. That's the most by a D-Line duo since 18.0 sacks (25.5 TFLs) since Keionta Davis and either Mack or Vantrel McMillian in 2016.
 
That's pretty heady company. Davis was on the Patriots last Super Bowl team, while Mack has been on NFL rosters since departing the Scenic City. McMillian has played in the CFL and is currently on the Massachusetts Pirates in the Indoor Football League. Oh, and Maxwell is one of the top defensive linemen in college today.
 
But there he is. Ben Brewton is carving out his own path as Mack did alongside Davis and McMillian and Maxwell with Mack before that. Some say he's emerging, we think the tense is wrong.

He's emerged.
 
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING…
Devonnsha Maxwell on D-Line U & Ben Brewton:
"Defensive line here is a point of pride. The names you mentioned and now passing it on to guys like Ben Brewton and all the talent we have here this year. A lot of the attention is on me, but Ben takes a lot of that pressure off me."
 
Brewton on what D-Line U means to him:
"It means you're stepping into a place where you have great competitors at the position. Those older guys passed to down to Devonnsha Maxwell who is a great leader for us. D-Line U, you have to come with it and we are a group where you have to put on your best every day."